Delicious Cherry Smoothie for Joint Support, Immune Support, and Arthritis

Good morning!

Time to yawn, stretch, and prepare for the day.

But what if that morning stretch is hard? What if arthritis means your morning is full of achy soreness, stiffness, and pain?

There are many ways to approach arthritis and other kinds of body pain. Yoga, meditation, and other mindfulness practices can help a lot. Moderate exercise has been shown to help manage the stiffness. I can't currently do some of the things I used to, but I hope to do them all again soon. Even on really tough days, I try to do at least a half hour of yoga. There's a lot of creaking, but it helps.

Acupuntcure is helpful for a lot of people. There are herbs and other supplements you can take to help keep your body moving. There are lots of foods that help. Many people find NSAIDs and steroids helpful, but there are potential side effects to consider, especially with long term use.

I'm not your doctor. I'm not here to judge the combination of treatments you choose. What I do have is a delicious recipe to start your day off well. The ingredients in this smoothie work together to support your joint health, and they're delicious!

CHERRY SMOOTHIE

Cashew milk  or other milk or yogurt of choice
Lemon, peeled with a knife or juiced
Cherries, pitted (frozen or fresh)
Blueberries (frozen or fresh)
Ripe banana (frozen or fresh) or a spoonful or raw, local honey to taste
Romaine or spinach
Water

First, make your cashew milk. It's easy - blend cashews with a little water until smooth. That's it! Save some in a jar for other uses if you like. Using only a tiny bit of water makes a thick creme. More water makes a thin milk. You don't have to strain cashew milk; just blend and go.

Blend your fruits with your cashew milk. Add a little water as necessary. Add greens and blend until completely smooth. If you're not feeling the greens this morning, it's actually okay to skip them. There are no smoothie police to make sure every single one is green. Yes, the leafy veggies are oh-so-good for you, but even without greens, this smoothie will be super nourishing.

Optional but recommended: stir in a spoonful of fish oil, or take some on the side. Alternatively, you may choose to take a vitamin D supplement, preferably D3 suspended in olive oil.

So why these ingredients? Well, cashews are super creamy and delicious, and lend body and good fat to help you absorb all the other good stuff in the smoothie. Cashews make it taste a little more like cherry cheesecake, but you can use coconut milk or a bit of avocado instead if you prefer. Cherries and blueberries are both rich in phytochemicals that decrease inflammation. Blueberries are incredibly rich in antioxidants. Cherries have been shown to help with many kinds of arthritis and pain, especially gouty arthritis. Lemon boosts the smoothie's vitamin C content even higher. Vitamin C supports the health of connective tissue in and around joints, as well as the fascia surrounding muscles. It also helps you absorb the iron and other minerals in the greens.

Spinach and romaine are both excellent greens for overall health, especially for decreasing inflammation. Bananas are delicious and sweeten up your smoothie, countering the tartness of the berries and the bitterness of the greens. They're also rich in vitamins and minerals. Raw local honey is  great for immune support, allergies, and inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D in fish oil have been shown to support joint health and overall health. And again, that little dose of good fat will help you absorb all the goodness that's locked away in the fruits and veggies.

So sip that smoothie, relax, and enjoy. Then go for a walk in the sunshine, take a yoga class, and stretch it out! It may be hard to get started, but your body will thank you afterward.

Simple mustard and honey sauce

Happy May, everyone!

Very soon, I will post an awesome recipe for a grain free carrot cake that is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack. I finally got some pictures today before it was completely devoured! But first, a super simple dressing, dip, or sauce. Tonight I had this on gorgeous baby greens as a salad and it made me so happy! Feel free to dress or sauce up anything you like, from salads to wraps to noodles. Would also pair as well with meat as it does with veggies, if that's how you roll.

INGREDIENTS:

Raw honey
Dijon-style mustard (grainy or smooth, both will be delicious)
Sunflower seed butter (or other seed or nut butter)

METHOD:

Put as much as you like of the three ingredients in a bowl. Play with proportions - I used about equal quantities of honey and mustard, and more of the sunflower seed butter. Stir with a fork to combine. Season to taste - depending on your mustard, you may want more vinegar, more salt, or any other seasoning you desire - ginger or turmeric would be great, as would coconut aminos, or chopped chilis.

Now dip, dress, and enjoy!

Simple grain-free waffles!

Good morning!

These waffles got gobbled up completely before I got a picture. Oh noes! Next time I will remember to take out the camera.

But right now, I have to share this with you!

I've been working on this recipe for a little while, and now it is perfect! It's based on the 2 ingredient pancakes you've probably seen floating around the last few years. (No? The basic proportions out there are volumetrically approximately equal amounts of ripe banana and egg - about 1 large banana to 2 eggs, or about 1/2 cup each. There are lots of potential additions and variations out there, and huge flexibility. Directions: Blend egg and banana together. Add optional flavorings and add-ins. Heat and oil griddle. Make pancakes.)

Since we reintroduced eggs into our diet, I've wanted to make this recipe into waffles. Why? Because I have a waffle iron, and I like waffles!

I tried with just banana and egg (plus cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt). Delicious, but I wanted them to hold together a little better. I tried adding cocoa powder. I tried adding baking powder. I tried adding almond flour. I tried adding arrowroot starch. I tried separating the eggs, and I tried not separating the eggs.

The verdict? Almond flour and arrowroot starch are both excellent additions. Separating the eggs is unnecessary, and maybe even makes the waffles a little dry. Baking powder is unnecessary, at least in a non-Belgian-style waffle iron. Cocoa powder tastes great in the raw batter, but loses something when baked - needs a little more experimentation. I haven't tried arrowroot and cocoa together; that might work really well.

I loved the flavor and light texture with almond flour. They held together better than without it, but they still didn't hold together as well as I'd like. This morning's arrowroot experiment was perfect! Delicious, light, sturdier than the other variations. You guys, the finished waffle even has some stretch to it. Stretch! It comes out of the iron easily, even when lightly baked. It's a win.

Next time, I might try a little almond flour and a little arrowroot starch. Yum! That might be getting a little too far away from the simplicity of the original, though. Still, worth trying.

INGREDIENTS:

1 banana
3 eggs
pinch sea salt
Optional: good shake of cinnamon, splash of vanilla, some pumpkin pie spice, whatever spices you like
1-2 T arrowroot starch, a.k.a. arrowroot powder a.k.a. arrowroot flour (if you don't tolerate starches or you're avoiding them at the moment, try almond flour)
refined coconut oil for your iron

Optional toppings: great plain, or with virgin coconut oil, dark chocolate chips, almond butter, homemade rawtella, fruit, whipped cream, whipped coconut cream, whatever you like! They're slightly sweet, and don't need syrup; but if you love maple, I am not stopping you!

Directions: Oil and preheat your iron. Put banana, egg, and seasonings in food processor. Mix thoroughly, till smooth and light. Add arrowroot starch, and mix again. If you don't have a food processor, whisk eggs thoroughly, until light and fluffy. Separately, mash bananas thoroughly with seasonings. Add bananas and starch or flour to eggs and mix completely.

Bake waffles in iron to desired level of doneness. Re-oil between batches. Enjoy with desired toppings.

That's it!

I encourage playing with the recipe. The only part that I think is not optional is keeping the iron properly oiled. When I went more than two waffles between re-oiling, they stuck and split.

My waffle iron is not Belgian-style, but rather the less-tall sort. I want a Belgian-style iron, and someday when I get one I will try these in it! If you try these in a Belgian-style iron, please leave a comment and let me know how it goes. Did you need to add a pinch of baking soda, or did you separate your eggs?

This recipe is ovo-vegetarian, gluten free, grain free, healthy, real food, paleo, high protein, moderate carb, filling, and delicious!
 
All the ingredients in this recipe are Whole30 compliant, but if waffles and other baked-style breakfast items are a trigger food for you, then waffles in general are not Whole30.